When you’re in love, that person takes up a lot of real estate in your brain. You might find yourself rehashing conversations in your head or scrolling through their pictures at work. You may even envision your future with them. And, yes, there will probably be days — or weeks or even longer — when you’re not all mushy-gushy in love. But that’s okay, too — because a love that’s alive is also constantly evolving. It expands, contracts and mellows and deepens. So, as long as you stick it out, the love will eventually return.
The way you feel about someone in love is a complex mix of biological and psychological factors. It’s hard to explain in a few words, which is why many people use metaphors and similes to talk about it. For example, a person might say they’re in “a mood to kill” someone or that their heart is “bursting at the seams.” And while those aren’t exactly scientific terms, they make sense and can give us an idea of what love feels like.
Biologically, love is a combination of feelings and hormones, including dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and cortisol. These chemicals are released in the brain when you see someone you like or fall in love with and they cause a rush of positive emotions. This can lead to a feeling of attraction, joy, pleasure and affection. Over time, these feelings can build up to a state of trust and comfort.
You can see these signs of love in relationships between friends, family members and couples. There are several types of love, including romantic love (which can be a mixture of emotions and physical sensations), platonic love (which is usually more about loyalty and commitment) and unconditional love, which is more about acceptance and empathy.
Another type of love is a spiritual or mystical form, such as bhakti or seva, which involves loving devotion to the divine. This can take the form of a practice or a set of rituals, such as singing, dancing and reading sacred texts. It can also be a form of meditation or prayer.
Love is a complicated and sometimes confusing thing, but it’s worth the effort to seek out true love. To do so, you’ll need to embrace your strengths and weaknesses as well as the uniqueness of each other. You’ll need to communicate clearly, be patient and supportive, and learn how to handle conflict. Ultimately, you’ll need to trust that the other person has your back and won’t destroy you, even if they might have done it in the past. But, most importantly, you’ll need to remember that you’re both worthy of each other’s love. And in that way, you’ll be able to stand firm in your relationship. No matter how you define it, there’s no doubt that the power of love is a universal force. It is the most important human emotion in existence, and it can transform us from the inside out if we let it.